Head Trauma
by Engine
Summary: Nick doesn't let his feelings be known and he'll be damned if he's gonna show them, and no gun-wielding, zombie-beating southern mechanic is gonna change that. Though, the infected frenzy can definitely change his sanity. Nellis.
1. Instigation

**1: Instigation**

"Aw shit, Boomer!"

Bile erupted into the darkening sky of Savannah, Georgia, and all over the ravaged white suit of a certain survivor.

"Goddamn it! I'll put a bullet between its fuckin' eyes!"

Through a veil of slime he located the massive infected right beside him. A horde of vicious, flesh-hungry freaks were closing in on him, but he didn't sway from his target. His dark-skinned teammates rushed straight into the scene, the male of the pair shooting wildly with a shotgun while the female followed blasting a submachine gun.

"Nick, get outta there!" the big, Southern man yelled.

"Just taking care of some personal business," Nick disregarded him calmly before pulling the trigger of his assault rifle.

"Nick, no-!" the young woman warned.

The blood of the creature exploded across the entire crowd.

"Fuck!" Nick shouted, turning to shoot the other infected trying to rip him into pieces. Bullets flew in every direction due to his blindness.

"Watch it!"

"I can't see for shit, Rochelle!"

"Maybe you shouldn't go getting stupid revenge on Boomers then-"

"Backhumper! Ro, look out!" came a heavily Southern-accented voice from the other side of the horde.

The jockey snarled and leaped onto Rochelle before she had a chance to react. She screeched and ran as fast as she could away from the onslaught.

"For the last time, Ellis, it's not a 'backhumper', you stupid hillbilly!" Nick shouted.

"I'll call 'em what I like!"

"Could you two stop for a minute and help me?!" Rochelle screamed. "Coach!"

"I got it," The older man unleashed his last bullets on the beast.

"I'm outta ammo," he announced, throwing the gun onto his back.

"I got ya, buddy!" Ellis threw Coach an axe from his own supply.

The four of them attacked the horde headfirst, blasting and hacking away, but it seemed like the swarm was endless.

"Christ in a handbasket!" Ellis exclaimed. "These things ain't never gonna stop!"

Nick grumbled and aimed some shots dangerously close to the mechanic, missing him by inches, but landing the infected behind him right in the face.

"That ain't funny!" Ellis whined. "You damn near got me that time!"

"I was _protecting_ you, overalls," Nick said in a sarcastic tone. "But I won't miss you next time if you don't shut your goddamn mouth."

"Guys, now isn't a good time!" Rochelle announced through a wall of zombies. Coach swung his weapon suddenly, taking off most of their heads.

"I like this melee shit," he laughed, rushing off to inflict some more damage.

"You go with him, Rochelle," Ellis instructed, while switching to a baseball bat and fiercely swinging at oncoming foes. "We'll take care a' this side!"

The fight they put up was painstaking but the infected increasingly took control. The two became swamped by them, bloodthirsty and rotting, until they found it challenging to even find the strength to fight back.

"Nick!" the younger called from the ground. "I need some help over here!"

Nick ran as swiftly as he could towards the incapacitated man, only to be blocked by several foes.

"Bitch!" he yelled, as he hurriedly took them down with his remaining handgun.

He got to Ellis and pulled him up as fast as he could without damaging either of them further.

"If you go down again you're not gonna make it, you hear me?" Nick said firmly. "We... I can't afford to lose you. Yet."

"Oh man," Ellis wailed. "I think I really hurt somethin' just ther- wh- Ah! NICK! CHARGER!"

"Oh fuck this!" Nick shouted. "I don't think I can do this!"

Without further notice, the charger knocked them both back at once, sending them flying into wall and rubble. They were concealed and far away enough for the infected not to notice them, but their situation was just as bad.

"Shit... Nick, I can't move," Ellis groaned. "I hurt so bad I can't _see_ right."

The conman didn't answer. He could feel the blood seeping out of his head. His vision was steadily fading.

"Nick?!" The younger called in alarm "You okay? Answer me, man!"

Ellis attempted to jerk himself upward to assess his teammate's damage, which only resulted in a squeak of agony.

"Ellis..." Nick struggled to answer. "I'm fine, don't hurt yourself."

"Bit late for that now, huh?"

The ends of Nick's mouth curled into a small, painful smile.

"You're bleedin' real bad," Ellis said in worry, managing to turn himself enough to see the older man.

"I'm aware," Nick mumbled. He closed his eyes as a surge of pain went through his body.

"Hey, stay awake!" Ellis warned. "Once, my buddy Keith swallowed some kinda washin' up stuff, ya know the stuff your maw keeps under the sink, like bleach and shit? Well, turns out you ain't supposed to sleep after that or your organs'll fail or somethin-"

"Ellis, not now."

"Sorry, sorry."

Nick found it harder and harder to breathe.

"Listen, Ellis," he said quietly. "I think this is it."

"Naw, it can't be!" Ellis protested.

Suddenly, he began coughing violently. He could taste the blood coming up from his throat. He couldn't move his arm to wipe the blood clinging to his lips. All he could focus on was the metallic liquid that was filling his mouth and all he could see were faint black and grey shapes.

"We're gonna die," Nick's voice was no more than whisper.

He felt so faint from the blood loss that he couldn't even think coherently. Their inevitable death clung to his mind like the bile to his ruined suit.

"Never thought I'd go like this," Ellis murmured. "I mean, it's the zombie apocalypse out here. I thought I'd die doin' somethin' cool, like bein' mauled by one a' them witches. Aw man-!"

Another cough attack interrupted his musings.

"Shut it, Ellis," Nick said, for different reasons than usual, and this time he actually obeyed.

As they lay there, slowly dying, Nick's mind, crippled with pain, turned to Ellis. There was so many things he should have said to him while they were still full of life, but so many of them he would never have even considered saying then. Or now, for that matter. He decided to start simple.

"I don't hate you."

Ellis gave an unintelligible groan as answer.

"I...well, I kinda like you. Alright, I _do_ like you. I like all you three, but you... you're... ah... I know we're dying and it's too late now, but I do..."

This time the reply was less than a gasp of sorts. Nick could feel his eyes welling with tears. The kid was just about to take his dying breath, and he was next.

"All that shit I said to you... I'm sorry, okay? I was scared of getting too close, I guess... Always am..."

No reply. Nick couldn't even feel the tears roll down his face as he closed his eyes again and let sleep take him.


	2. Aftermath

**2: Aftermath**

"Hey, look! He's wakin' up!"

All that the enervated man could see was dim light as he forced his eyes open. Languidly inspecting his surroundings, he knew he had been there before, but it was too dark to be sure.

"You alright, man?"

With considerable effort, he managed to sit up on the cold surface beneath him. He realised it was the metal table of the safe house they had recently left, only it wasn't quite right. The room spun. Time seemed to be moving faster than usual.

"We're still here?" Nick grumbled, his eyesight gradually adjusting to the light and the throbbing pain in his head. "We're meant to be at the next place by now."

His stomach didn't sit right with him. He felt like he was about to vomit at any second.

"That was close," Rochelle exhaled a grateful breath. "You were on your deathbed there, Nicolas."

Nick glanced at her bitterly, attempting to conceal his agony. She stood over him with various health equipment and a determined frown fixed on her face. Coach's frown was much more aggressive, instantly irritated by the survivor's attitude. Ellis sat at the table on a hard chair opposite where Nick's head had been lying, the expression on his face a direct contrast of the others'. His grin radiated towards the conman, making his desperate appearance look slightly better. He was covered in dried blood and infected retch, and all kinds of abrasions and contusions littered his skin. Bandages pulled tightly around the left side of his body indicated the damage done there.

"You look like shit," Nick commented. "What in the hell happened?"

"Aw _man_, Nick," Ellis burst out. "I'm so glad you ain't dead!"

"You're lucky Rochelle got to ya in time or ya goddamn would've been." Coach snarled.

Nick surveyed his own casualties. The leg of his trousers were rolled up past his knee, and most of what was visible of his leg was tied up with blood-stained dressing. The trousers itself were torn in various areas. He found that boomer bile clung to his beloved suit.

"That's my suit ruined," he sighed.

"You're only thinking that now?" Rochelle snickered, setting the medical kit down, satisfied that the guy would live. She patted him on the shoulder and gave a small reassuring smile, before following Coach into the kitchen area.

"I thought you were gone for sure," Ellis mumbled, leaning on the metal surface and looking up at Nick. "When you were talkin' an' I couldn't hear you no more. I was sure we was gonna go."

"Don't get caught up on it," Nick replied. "We survived. Big deal."

"Don't go sayin' stuff like that. I know you wanna survive just as much as the rest of us."

Nick stared at the irritatingly cheerful mechanic below him.

"It doesn't matter whether we live or die," he hissed. "It's the apocalypse, kid. Everyone's dead anyway."

"_Well_," Ellis said. "I thought you didn't live for nobody else, you bein' such a drifter an' all."

"Shut up, Ellis," he snapped.

"I'm just sayin', I remember you thinkin' you came too far to die," Ellis recalled. "An' you were sure pissed to be dyin' last time."

"Yeah, I was pissed," Nick said. "I was pissed to be dying with _you_."

"That ain't what you said," Ellis smiled.

Nick didn't look amused. Ellis, however, looked like perfect definition of the word.

"'Member what ya said?"

"No."

"I think ya do!"

"Shut up, Ellis," he repeated through gritted teeth. "I'm warning you. I don't need your bullshit right now."

"It ain't bullshit an' you know it!" Ellis exclaimed. "I can hardly believe you'd lie 'bout this."

"About what?" Rochelle asked, reentering the room.

"It's nothing, don't ask him," Nick demanded.

"Ro, he's try'na convince me he didn't tell m-"

"ELLIS!" Nick yelled suddenly. "Goddamn it, shut your fuckin' mouth!"

Ellis' face dropped. Rochelle crossed her arms and silently reviewed the situation.

"Aw, come on, Nick," he said. "I was jus' tryin'a prove a point... 'cause it did happen."

"Y'know what, my head hurts like a bitch, and my leg may or may not be broken, so I'm not gonna stick around and listen to this."

Nick limped towards the ladder and proceeded diligently up to the makeshift bedroom, accompanied by mutterings of "son of a bitch!". The room he left went quiet, until a cackle erupted from the former news producer.

"What ya laughin' at?" Ellis asked, both entertained and confused by the outburst.

"You two go on like I don't know what," she giggled. "You're like a homicidal married couple, or worse. How Nick talks about his ex-wife, I wouldn't be surprised they threatened each other like that, too."

Ellis joined in with the laughing, though he didn't feel much like it.

"So?" Rochelle said, when it died down.

"So...?"

"What were you and fancy suit bickerin' about?"

"Aw, nothin'," Ellis suddenly felt shy.

"Nothin'?" Rochelle gasped. "It must be some nothin' if you're gonna yell all over the safe house about it."

The younger sat back in his chair and unconsciously became primarily interested in his hands. Rochelle realised that something was off. She sat on the table beside his seat.

"Listen, little guy, I'm here for you," she said. "Was he bothering you that much? 'Cause I have no problem setting him straight."

Ellis gave a low chuckle. He jumped up onto the table to sit next to her.

"Nah, Ro, no need for that. He's jus' bein' a jerk, is all."

"What's he doing?" she asked gently. "I overheard you saying he was lying about something."

He gave a big sigh.

"Um... y'know how I tell you stuff I don't tell the others?"

Rochelle nodded. Since the two of them had grown closer, she had been like a big sister to Ellis. Gradually, he began confiding in her all his fears and doubts and little secrets that he just couldn't contain in himself. Rochelle didn't mind. She liked being the one that actually listened to the kid when he just needed someone to talk to.

"Well, there's one thing I never told ya."

"You can tell me, sweetie."

"Uh, maybe you should know what Nick was sayin', for starters."

* * *

"... an' I dunno, man, I kinda died then. But then I woke up. An' ya'll know the rest."

Rochelle stared blankly at Ellis, looking for some kind of positive feedback to his story.

"What do ya think he meant?" he persisted.

"I don't know," she said slowly. "It sounds to me like, in the moment, he realised that he'd been pretty nasty to you, and wanted to make amends, but I don't think there'd any other kinda deep meaning with Nick."

"Ya don't think he meant... y'know... he _likes_ me, do ya?" Ellis muttered.

"No, no, honey, I wouldn't worry about that," Rochelle said comfortingly.

Ellis fidgeted wordlessly at her response. He looked at her with a doleful face, something she was sure she had never seen in him before.

"Hey, what's with the sadness?" Rochelle asked with uneasiness. She put her arm around his far shoulder and gave him a squeeze. "This is no big deal."

"I'm thinkin' it might be."

Rochelle's expression turned solemn. She said nothing, waiting for him to continue like he always tried to when telling his more trivial stories.

"Ro, I think I like Nick. In _that_ way, I mean."

"Ellis..."

"Naw, hear me out. I know it sounds like crazy, an' I know he don't think much of me or nothin', seein' as he's so street smart an' cultured an' I've barely even left Savannah, but I like 'im anyway."

The woman simply hummed in acknowledgement.

"I know ya think I'm stupid, an' I swear, Rochelle, I tried to forgot 'bout it but I jus' can't."

"No, baby, I don't!" Rochelle objected. "I know you can't help how you feel, and I'll never judge you about these things. Okay?"

"Okay," Ellis smiled gratefully.

"I just think, y'know, maybe you're a bit lonely? There aren't as many pickings now for young guys like you because of the whole zombie thing, after all."

"Believe me, I thought a' that already, and I don' think that's it. I know how that feels, to see a pretty girl at a party or somethin' and jus' go for it 'cause you ain't been with a lady in a while, and this ain't like that."

"But..." she continued. "I don't know if Nick's the kind of guy to, uh, _feel_ things."

"Mm, I get it. He don't like people. 'Specially not me."

"Don't get so down about it just yet," Rochelle deliberated. "Maybe... maybe he doesn't feel so differently about you than you feel about him? It's not impossible. We already know that he likes you in some way."

Ellis paused for a moment, before gasping, "Will you ask him for me?"

"What?" Rochelle screeched, taking her hand away from him and holding them up in protest. "Ellis, honey, we're not in eight grade! I'm not gonna ask him."

"Come on, Ro!" he begged. "I ain't askin' ya to ask him to marry me in the school yard or nothin', jeez! Jus' see what he thinks a' me. Please?"

"Fine, fine," she complied. "But you owe me big time, young-un!"

"Aw man, thank you! Do it real cool like. Like I know nothin' 'bout any of it."

"I'll see what I can do, Ellis."

* * *

The booming laughter could've easily shook the whole state that burst from the gambler.

"Nick!" Rochelle hushed him harshly. "Shut the fuck up, the other two are asleep!"

"You- You're saying- The kid- Really?" he managed to come out with in between sniggers.

"You are disgusting!" she hissed. "Why are you laughing at him? He shouldn't even bother with a creep like you!"

"Come on now, Ro," Nick said, finally composing himself. "Leave the name calling. You must think it's ridiculous, too, right?"

"Actually, I think you two would make a cute couple."

"I'm being serious."

"So am I."

"Well, I suppose he'd be alright. For a night. With some kind of gag-"

"Nick!"

"Hey, can't blame a guy! The apocalypse can leave ya lonely."

Rochelle chewed on her bottom lip unwittingly. She realised that there was no way the two of them could work if Nick was going to continue to be an idiot.

"That's not what he's looking for," she revealed.

"Well, what is he looking for?" he chuckled roughly.

"Nothing," she snapped, getting up to go to her own bed. "Nothing from someone like you."

"I can't believe this," he muttered. "What are you getting so mad about?"

He lay down in his own quickly-made bed on the floor. He heard Rochelle get onto her own soon after.

"Maybe I'll take him up on that," he said quietly after a long period of silence (and Coach's snores, as usual).

"What?" Rochelle whispered from her side of the room.

"He's not too bad. I could go for some-"

"Nick, you son of a bitch!" she barked. "Don't even think about using him! Just forget I said anything, alright?"

"Why? I came to fuck stupid Southerners over, why can't I do it liter-"

"Nick, I swear I will kill you if you touch him."

He didn't answer.


	3. Nightmare

**3: Nightmare**

Nick jumped awake to the horrific sounds of the hacking and choking on blood and vomit in the next bed over. The obscured sobs between the flood of stomach lining and vital fluids sounded worse than any cry from a witch he had ever heard before. He snapped his attention to the gruesome sight. The bed was seeped in the rancid liquids. It seemed at that point there was nothing more to come up, leaving the poor kid merely dry heaving and spitting out the remains in his mouth.

Nick rushed over to his bed, wincing from the sudden onslaught of pain from his wounds, and threw the bedsheet from it. Grabbing either side of his head, he held his face up so he was on his eye level. Ellis looked back with a vacant, hollow stare. His entire mouth was dark red and the contents of his guts stained from his mouth to his stomach. Nick could hardly function from the stabbing pain he felt himself and the horrible shock of his teammate's sickness. With the sleeve of his ten thousand dollar suit, he wiped the puke and blood from the other man as best he could, through murmurs of profanities.

"Ellis!" he whispered urgently. "Oh shit! Come on, say something!"

The empty gaze scared him most of all. His bright blue eyes were usually full of idiotic hope and optimism which did well to enrage Nick at the best of times, but seeing them so devoid of all that they are filled him with panic.

"I ain't gonna lie," Ellis' words came out like croaks. "I've felt a whole lot better."

"Goddamn it," Nick sighed. "I don't know what to do."

"It's cool," Ellis tried to put on his air of indestructibility. "I could do worse. I think."

He hurriedly wiped the tears from his face, though he knew Nick had already seen them.

"Man, go back to bed," Ellis insisted. "You're hurt, and I know you don't wanna spend your night takin' care a' me."

Before Nick could consider what he was doing, he was on the desecrated mattress with him, his arms timidly wrapping themselves around the young mechanic.

"Wh- what are ya doin'?" Ellis asked with subdued alarm.

"I don't know," Nick said quietly. "I can't think right anymore with the constant headaches, and knowing that if I go outside I'll have to fight for my life. I can't get away from bad situations like I used to. Just... let me... for a while..."

"O-Okay..."

Ellis turned gently so they were side by side. Nick could feel the southerner's hands shakily move towards his waist and rest there. He trembled so slightly against him that Nick wasn't sure if he actually was or if it was his imagination. He didn't know to what extent Ellis' affections were, Rochelle wasn't exactly clear on the details, but he felt a strange sense of guilt as he wordlessly held him. He really wasn't sure what he was trying to achieve. Was using him really worth it? Surely that's all Ellis wanted, too. No one was so stupid as to feel anything_ real_ for Nick, anyway. He's a lost cause with a fucked-up past, nothing more. So why the guilt?

Ellis moved in closer and lay his head on Nick's shoulder after a while of staying deathly still. Nick turned his head a little to see his eyes were closed. He looked painfully peaceful. A content noise escaped his lips before he could stop it.

"Uh, sorry," Ellis mumbled in embarrassment. "That was a little weird."

"Sounds like you're a bit too happy with this set up," Nick suggested coolly.

"I, uh, I might be," Ellis answered cautiously.

"Well, I might be, too."

In a swift movement, Nick had Ellis lying back in his arms and staring up at him with wide eyes. Nick hesitated for a moment before smashing his lips onto the ones below him. Ellis grabbed his shoulders, immediately kissing back. His nails dug into the older man's skin through his clothes. Nick was in charge, using his tongue and teeth with force. Ellis kept up desperately, wanting everything he was prepared to give. The kiss intensified quickly, with both of them clawing and scratching and holding on for dear life. The conman's fingers worked their way up to the other's hair, and he tangled his hands in it firmly, unconsciously pulling at it, with resulted in a gasp from Ellis.

Without breaking from the kiss, Nick lay him down on the mattress with his hands either side of his head, kneeling between his legs. Ellis threw his arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. Finally, the older man broke from the kiss and made his way towards his neck, leaving a trail of kisses and bruises as he did so. He bit and sucked his chosen area of flesh on his neck violently. Ellis wriggled and moaned helplessly. He felt a hand play at his crotch. He bit down on his lower lip hard. All too slowly, Nick traveled down his body.

"Nick!" he cried. "Quit teasin'!"

Nick laughed harshly. He pulled his coveralls down to his knees.

"What the fuck?!" Rochelle yelled from her side of the room.

"Holy shit!" Ellis scrambled to pull his trousers up and rolled out from under Nick.

"What is fucking wrong with you?" Nick growled at her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Can't you see we were a bit busy?"

"Nick, you scumba- Oh my god, what's that smell?" she covered the bottom half of her face with her palm. Her eyes widened as she saw the mess around and on the bed and over the front of the two men.

"Overalls felt a little sick," Nick shrugged.

"Jesus!" she rushed over to Ellis, who was standing awkwardly beside the still seated Nick.

His aches suddenly hurt again, something he had completely forgotten about when he was otherwise occupied a few moments ago.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ellis answered. "There ain't no more puke left in me anyway."

She looked him up and down, sporting a small frown. Her inspection stopped at the various bruises on his neck. Ellis blushed and traced his fingers over the marks self-consciously.

"I think it's best if you rest, sweetie," she said softly. "Take my bed, I got enough rest."

He nodded silently and did as he was told. She went to climb the ladder downstairs, but Nick caught her arm as she turned.

"You coulda let me finish, you know," he hissed. "Are you jealous of him or something?" he added, his voice like acid.

"As if I'd even think about touching you," her voice was more severe than he had ever witnessed. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but you better start considering his feelings. He'd never ever do this to you."

"He's too stupid to," he retaliated. "Look, we're both adults here. Stay out of our business."

"You make me _sick_, Nick," she spat. "I've lost all respect for you."

"What do you want from me? You think we should get married or something? That's not how things work, Rochelle. I have 'em then I move on. It's that simple."

"Does he mean nothing to you?"

"He's alright with a gun, and compliant in bed, it looks like," Nick said coldly. "But apart from that, no."

Rochelle opened her mouth to argue further, but instead she regarded him with a resentful look and continued down the ladder.


End file.
